Weight for bowling balls

ABSTRACT

A practice weight having a concave bottom fitting over a portion of the periphery of a bowling ball and having a hole through which the thumb may be extended into the thumb hole of the bowling ball and having a cutaway portion to accommodate the finger or fingers which engage the other hole or holes of the bowling ball in convenient position, both the hole and the cutaway portion being tapered in such a manner as to allow the pressure of the thumb, fingers and palm to support the practice weight against the surface of the bowling ball while taking practice swings; the weight being covered by a suitable covering.

United States Patent OTHER PUBLICATIONS Bowling, Jan. 1974, page 46.

Milsner E May 20, 1975 WEIGHT FOR BOWLING BALLS [76] Inventor: Leon s. Milsner, 162 Camelia Dl'., Hammer-Gauge Mark Daly City, Calif. 94015 [22] Filed: June 13, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT 21 App]. No.2 478,983

A practice weight having a concave bottom fitting 52 us. (:1. 273/54 B; 273/58 K; 273/63 E; Over a Portion Of the P p y of a bowling ball and 272/59 B having a hole through which the thumb may be ex- 51 Int. Cl. A63d 5/00; A63b 37/00 tended into the thumb hole the bowling ball and [58] Field of Search 273/54 B, 63, 64; 272/81, having a Cutaway Portion to accommodate the finger 27 5 B or fingers which engage the other hole or holes of the bowling ball in convenient position, both the hole and 5 References Cited the cutaway portion being tapered in such a manner as UNITED STATES PATENTS to allow the pressure of the thumb, fingers and palm to support the practice weight against the surface of g i 3 the bowling ball while taking practice swings; the 3:400:929 9/l968 Faba ichxiii:3:32.... 273/63 E Weight being Covered by a Suitable covering" 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures J1 111 1 111 4111M1lll ,1

WEIGHT FOR BOWLING BALLS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Various weights for the hands of a bowler were heretofore known but in the prior art such devices proposed a weighted glove for the hand that holds the ball and the weighted portion of the glove was on the back of the hand. Such structures are illustrated in the Archer U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,768, Santora US. Pat. No. 3,298,689, and Strafford U.S. Pat. No. 3,580,572. It was intended in such prior art that the weights remain on the hand while the person is bowling, namely during the delivery of the bowling ball.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a separate weight which fits a portion of the surface of the bowling ball adjacent to the thumb hole, for practice purposes; the weight being adapted to accomodate the thumb and the fingers in a convenient position so that the hand holds the weight against the surface of the bowling ball while practice swings are taken; after the practice swings the weight is set aside and affords the bowler better feeling during the delivery of the bowling ball; by practicing with the weight on the ball substantially the same effect is given to the user as to a baseball player when swinging a weighted bat before he goes to the plate, or a prize fighter using heavier gloves during workouts.

Another object of the invention is to provide a weight which fits over a portion of the bowling ball and also to the thumb and the fingers of the player in relation to the holes in a bowling ball, and which is simple to construct, economical to manufacture and is durable and efficient in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the practice weight.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, the section being taken on the lines 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the weight in use on the bowling ball.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In the herein illustration the weight has a convex top 1 and a concave or dished bottom 2. The weight has a substantially circular base edge 3. The thickness of the weight increases toward the center of the weight so that the convex portion 1 is substantially in the form of a segment of a sphere. Through the center of the weight is a hole 4 which tapers inwardly toward the dished bottom 2. The size of the hole 4 is such as to accomodate the thumb of the hand. A dent 6 is formed on one side of the weight tapering upwardly toward the hole 4. The dent 6 is so shaped as to accomodate the portion of the palm and the fingers engaging the other hole or holes in a bowling ball as shown in FIG. 3.

The dished concave bottom 2 complements the segment of a sphere the diameter of which corresponds to the diameter of a standard bowling ball 7, namely at present 8.595 inches. In the illustration shown in FIG. 3 there is a thumb hole in the bowling ball, not shown, with which the hole 4 is in registry, and a pair of finger holes 8 adjacent the dent 6. Before the player delivers the bowling ball 7, he places the weight on the thumb and inserts the thumb 9 of his hand 10 through the hole 4 into the registering hole in the bowling ball 7 and turns the weight so that the dent 6 faces toward the single hole or two holes 8 and then inserts the fingers ll of his hand into the finger holes 8, thereby holding the bowling ball 7 in the usual bowling attitude, the part of the palm and of the fingers 8 comfortably resting in the dent 6. Then the player takes his practice swings with the bowling ball 7 with the weight thereon. Before delivering the ball the weight is removed and set aside. The weight is about 2 pounds and the tapering hole 4 and the tapering dent 6 gives the user a comfortable feel when the weight is placed on the bowling ball. It is preferable that the weight be made of lead. although other suitable metals or materials can be used. The weight is covered by flocking or by applying a cloth to form a covering 12 over the entire surface of the weight inclusive of the hole 4 and the dent 6.

The approximate dimensions of the weight as now made are as follows: The circular base 3 is about 4 inches diameter; the lower indented edge 13 of the dent or seat 6 is on an ark of about 2% inch radius from a center at about 4 inches from the center of the weight, and the dent is concave dished inwardly and tapering toward the thumbhole 4; the top edge 14 of the thumb hole 4 is about inch radius and the bottom edge 16 is of about 17/32 inch radius, and the top edge 14 is rounded.

I claim:

1. A practice weight for a bowling ball comprising,

a body shaped in the form of a segment of a sphere, having a dished bottom complementing a segment of the spherical surface of a bowling ball,

a thumb hole through said weight,

a seat formed by a dent on one side of the periphery of said weight tapering toward said hole, for forming a finger rest in relation to the finger holes of the bowling ball.

2. The practice weight specified in claim 1 and said thumb hole being tapered inwardly toward the dished bottom.

3. The invention specified in claim 2 andsaid thumb the dished bottom having a base circumference of about 4 inches diameter; the dent of the seat having a base edge intersecting said base circumference and being of about 2% inch radius from a center at about 4 inches from the center line of the weight. 

1. A practice weight for a bowling ball comprising, a body shaped in the form of a segment of a sphere, having a dished bottom complementing a segment of the spherical surface of a bowling ball, a thumb hole through said weight, a seat formed by a dent on one side of the periphery of said weight tapering toward said hole, for forming a finger rest in relation to the finger holes of the bowling ball.
 2. The practice weight specified in claim 1 and said thumb hole being tapered inwardly toward the dished bottom.
 3. The invention specified in claim 2 and said thumb hole being substantially through the center of said weight, the top of said weight being formed substantially in the shape of a segment of a sphere increasing in thickness from the outer circumference of said weight toward the center thereof.
 4. The invention specified in claim 3 and a smooth covering on the entire exterior surface of said weight.
 5. The invention specified in claim 3 and the approximate dimensions of said weight being as follows: the dished bottom having a base circumference of about 4 inches diameter; the dent of the seat having a base edge intersecting said base circumference and being of about 2 3/4 inch radius from a center at about 4 inches from the center line of the weight. 